


That Time of the Month

by DaftNerd



Series: Only Love [1]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Adorkable, Awkwardness, Callum is embarrassed, Comfort, Cuddles, Established Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince), F/M, Fluff, Humor, Love, Rayllum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:01:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29144859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaftNerd/pseuds/DaftNerd
Summary: Callum doesn’t have a lot of experience with girls, so he’s confused when Rayla’s not her usual perky self.  But even fierce assassins sometimes need some TLC.  And Callum’s there to provide it… after some education and embarrassment.  But he cares a lot and learns fast, working hard to be the best boyfriend ever.Rayllum fluff, snuggles, cuddles and humor.  Callum gets embarrassed… a lot.  But it’s for a good cause.  He needs to understand girls now that he has a girlfriend.Set shortly after the battle at the end of S3.
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Series: Only Love [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2139159
Comments: 40
Kudos: 115





	1. Oh!

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Comfort](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28881114) by [blutopaz15](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blutopaz15/pseuds/blutopaz15). 



> I enjoyed blutopaz15’s “Comfort” and was inspired to do an “embarrassed!Callum” version. 
> 
> I rated this T for discussion about periods just to be on the safe side.  
> Although basic biology shouldn’t need a rating.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum realizes he thought he understood girls, but he still has a lot to learn.

Callum woke up excited.

After travelling to Xadia to return the egg, the big battle at the Storm Spire, diplomatic discussions for a few days, then almost a week of accompanying the Duren army on their return, he was finally home.

Back in Katolis.

In a real bed.

With his amazing girlfriend. 

Life was _good_ and he didn’t want to miss a single minute of it.

He sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes before he noticed Rayla was still curled up in her bed across the room, even though the morning light was streaming in the window. That wasn’t like her. She was usually the one prodding him to get up.

But thinking back, she did seem less perky the last day or two. He’d passed it off as she was just tired from everything that had happened recently. But maybe she was sick. Did elves get sick like humans? He had a hard time imaging Rayla slowing down even if she was sick.

And daylight was wasting. He wanted to give her a grand tour of the castle… minus the creepy Viren rooms and tunnels. She’d seen those the last time she was here and definitely wouldn’t want to see them again anytime soon. To be honest, he wasn’t ready to see them again either.

Rather, he wanted to show her all the nice parts she didn’t get to see. Or didn’t get to appreciate while they ran around trying to save the world and not die. Hard to believe that happened less than two months ago.

He threw back the covers and crept over to Rayla’s sleeping form. She was sleeping on her side, facing away from him, completely curled up under the covers with only her head sticking out. He stood watching her for a few moments, reassuring himself this wasn’t a dream. She really was _here_ with _him_. He wanted to hug her so much it was almost a physical ache. And maybe some morning kisses too. But first he needed to wake her up, gently, romantically.

He leaned down to gently kiss the tip of her exposed ear, causing her to shake her head a few times. He kissed the tip her ear again and she pulled her arm out of the covers and wiped her ear without opening her eyes. She didn’t seem to be waking up so he breathed heavily on her ear as he whispered her name. “Raaaaaaylaaaaa”.

Rayla flipped onto her back and rubbed her ear before groggily opening her eyes to stare at him with a frown.

“What in Xadia are you doin’?” she asked sounding exasperated. Not the reaction he was hoping for.

Callum stepped back out of her reach before replying. “Hey there sleepy head!” he said cheerfully. “Time to get up. It’s a beautiful day.”

She looked at him like he was insane and rolled back on her side, grunting as she pulled the covers tightly over her.

“But I want to show you around the castle,” he said eagerly, like a kid with a new toy. “You’ll love all the armor and weapons. We’ll even steal some jelly tarts from Barius.” He thought an offer of her two weaknesses, weapons and food, would convince her.

But a mumbled, “Just leave me alone,” was all the response he got. Callum wasn’t sure what was going on. Lying around was so not Rayla. It was the opposite of Rayla.

“But you love getting up in the morning,” he said poking her in the shoulder with a finger.

“CALLUM, STOP!” Rayla yelled rolling over to face him with murder in her eyes.

Callum jumped back a few steps, wondering if poking an assassin had been a good idea.

The fear and surprise on his face must have shown because Rayla’s face drooped and she started crying. This was even more not like Rayla. He sat gently on the bed and stroked her hair. In a few moments, Rayla seemed to regain her composure.

“I’m sorry Callum,” she said wiping her eyes. “I haven’t been sleepin’ well these last few nights. I’m not feelin’ so good and I’m just _so_ tired. You can show me around the castle later.” She closed her eyes and pulled the covers up under her chin and sighed. “Right now, I just need to rest.”

Now Callum was _really_ worried. Rayla never got tired. Something must be seriously wrong with her. This was the girl who shrugged off having her wrist slowly squeezed until her hand almost fell off.

Callum gently touched her forehead with one palm. Maybe she had some sort of elven disease. Or maybe she caught some human disease that elves don’t have. Like that childhood pox. 

“Now what are you doin’” she asked with eyes still closed, sounding as if it was an effort to speak. “I’m already awake.”

“Just checking to see if you have a fever. I should get the physician to see what’s wrong with you.”

Rayla snorted and smiled. “Dummy. I don’t need a doctor. I know what’s wrong with me.”

“You do!” That was a relief, especially since she didn’t seem too worried about it. “Well, what is it?”

She opened her eyes and looked at him. “It’s that time of the month,” she said sounding resigned.

Of course! He should have guessed. He’d learned that Moonshadow elves were very sensitive to the moon cycles. Like, they could do that invisibility thing during a full moon. So, they must be extra tired during a new moon, which was today. At least it wasn’t anything serious.

“Right. So, during a new moon, Moonshadow elves just rest and relax. Like in the winter when it’s cold and snowy and we just want to curl up with a warm blanket, a good book and some hot tea. You rest and I’ll give you the tour later.”

Rayla started snickering. He wasn’t sure what was so funny but at least she seemed happier.

“Oh Callum. You’re so cute!” she said, before she started laughing.

“What?” he asked somewhat indignantly.

With a groan, Rayla pulled herself to a sitting position and smiled at him. “It’s true that Moonshadow elves have less energy durin’ a full moon. But that’s not why I’m tired. It’s because my monthly menstruation starts at the full moon. Don’t human girls do this too.”

“Oh,” was all he could muster. He should have guessed. But he didn’t think about girls’ periods and stuff. He didn’t have a mom or a sister. And Aunt Amaya was away a lot. And when she was here, it wasn’t something that came up in casual conversation.

He’d never really talked about it with Claudia either. Soren would warn him when Claudia was ‘on the rag’ and he should avoid her for a few days. He had a hard enough time talking to Claudia normally so he usually took Soren’s advice. The few times he’d seen Claudia during her period, she was grumpy and would complain to Callum that boys should have to experience ‘The Curse’ too. He felt bad for Claudia but he was happy he didn’t have to go through it.

Rayla seemed to take his silence to mean that he didn’t know what she was talking about.

“Don’t humans learn about sex?” she asked raising an eyebrow. “You do know I don’t have a willie, right?” she teased.

Callum felt color rising in his cheeks. “Yes! I know that. I just don’t have much experience with girls and periods.”

“Then brace yourself!” she said with wide eyes and raised hands. “When I start bleedin’ it’s gonna be a gusher. Buckets of blood! I might pass out from the blood loss. It’ll look like an assassination happened between my legs.”

Callum was shocked. That sounded much worse that what he’d heard. He wasn’t sure exactly how much blood was usually involved but he was pretty sure it wasn’t buckets. And he’d never heard of anyone passing out. Maybe it was only this bad for Moonshadow elves.

“That sounds awful!” he exclaimed.

Rayla looked at his wide-eyed expression and burst out laughing again. “Sorry, I’m just foolin’ you,” she said putting a hand on his shoulder to take away some of the sting of teasing him. “It’s a trickle, not a gusher. Although it does _look_ bad and it can be messy.”

Callum managed a half smile. He should know by now when she’s messing with him. At least she was acting more like herself. “Still doesn’t sound like fun,” he replied.

She took his hand and leaned her head on his shoulder. “No, it’s not.” She sounded tired again. “And I’m goin’ to need somethin’ to stuff in my pants pretty soon or it _will_ be messy.”

Callum had no idea what to do about pants stuffing. He needed help.

“Let’s go talk with Aunt Amaya. She’ll be able to help.”

He felt Rayla stiffen against him. “She’s still a little scary,” she said in a small voice.

Anyone who didn’t find Aunt Amaya at least a little bit scary had no sense of self preservation. But she was his aunt and she’d always helped him when he needed it. 

“Yeah, but she really likes you now. We’ll find her after breakfast.” Callum paused. “We can wait that long, right?”

Rayla rubbed her lower belly, as if checking something. “Maybe not,” she said. “Today _is_ the new moon.”

Callum leapt up from the bed. “If we hurry, we might be able to catch her at breakfast.”

Callum grabbed his clothes and dressed with his back to her. He heard her groan and pad across the floor. After a few moments she announced she was ready to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next, Amaya to the rescue and Callum embarrassment continues.  
> The rough draft is already written so it should be up in the next few days.


	2. Talk with Amaya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amaya helps Rayla, but Callum still gets embarrassed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains an explanation why Callum only notices Rayla’s cycle now. They were constantly together for over a month, so you think he’d have noticed during their journey to Xadia.

Rayla was moving slower than usual on their way to the dining hall, partly because she was constantly adjusting her vest and suit as they walked.

“Are you alright?” Callum asked.

Rayla huffed as she yanked on her vest. “I’m fine. Everythin’ just feels _tight_.”

Callum reached out and took her hand to try to calm her. “Maybe you’re having a growth spurt. I think my clothes are starting to feel a bit small too.”

Rayla snorted, not sounding convinced. “More likely I’m all puffy ‘cause of my period.”

“You don’t look puffy,” he said before raising her hand to give it a kiss. “You look _beautiful_ , as usual.”

A bashful smile snuck onto Rayla’s face. “Thanks. But as soon as we get back to the room, I’m changin’ into pyjamas again.”

Callum was so distracted by Rayla’s smile he almost bumped into Aunt Amaya as they turned in the door of the dining hall. He wasn’t surprised that Amaya was already finished with breakfast. She liked getting up early. She’d probably already completed two hours of grueling workout.

Amaya smiled at them as she deftly stopped herself. “How are you two today?” she signed.

“We’re mostly fine. But we need to talk with you.” Callum replied. He was glad Aunt Amaya could read lips so he’d only have to translate one side of the conversation for Rayla. She’d learned some signing but still had a long way to go.

Amaya’s face turned to one of concern. “Mostly fine?” She signed.

“I’m perfectly fine.” Callum said. He glanced to both sides to make sure no one was around. “But Rayla’s starting her period and needs your help,” he whispered, his face growing red.

Amaya smirked at Callum’s embarrassment then turned and smiled at Rayla who was rolling her eyes.

“I need some supplies to avoid a mess,” Rayla said.

“Follow me to my room,” Amaya signed and Callum translated. “I’ll give you everything you’ll need.” 

Amaya turned and walked briskly down the corridor as Callum and Rayla trailed behind, hustling to keep up. When they arrived at Amaya’s room, she signed. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

Callum stood in the corridor with Rayla, who looked tired, like a flower slowly wilting. She’d normally chat with him but she didn’t seem to have the energy. The silence was awkward, and he had questions. But he wasn’t sure how to ask them without sounding like a moron.

“Sooooo…” he ventured not looking directly at her. “This happens every month?”

“Yep,” she replied with a half-smile. _Duh!_ He wasn’t off to a great start.

But Callum did wonder why he hadn’t noticed last month. He thought back to their journey to the Storm Spire. The new moon was right around when he connected to the Sky arcanum and they crossed the river of lava. She seemed fine then. Or maybe he’d been so wrapped up in the mission that he’d missed it. He hoped he hadn’t been that clueless, but he might as well find out.

“I don’t remember you being this tired at the full moon last month,” he said cautiously.

“That’s because I wasn’t,” she stated.

Callum looked at her quizzically. Didn’t she just say this happens every month?

Rayla smiled at his confusion and continued. “Female Moonshadow assassins drink this concoction before the mission so we can skip our cycle for one month. Makes the mission easier.”

He was relieved he wasn’t so self-centered that he’d missed her being miserable last month. And he was impressed they could skip cycles like that. Claudia would love to do that. “That’s a good idea. I imagine you don’t want any distractions during a mission.”

“Yeah,” she said, not sounding as impressed. “But we pay for it later. The moon cycle is strong with us, so the next month is super bad.”

“That’s good!” Callum said.

Rayla gave him a confused look.

Callum put his hands up and shook his head. “No. _Not_ good that it’s super bad now. _Good_ that next month it’ll be a lot better.”

“Yay! I can hardly wait.” Rayla said sarcastically. _Great job_ , he thought. _I managed to sound like a moron_.

Callum shuffled his feet and looked away. “I’m sorry. That came out wrong. I’m just trying to cheer you up.”

She put a hand on his shoulder. “I know and I appreciate it. I’m sorry but I just feel so _grumpy_.” She looked down, her expression turning thoughtful… wistful. “When I started menstruating, Ethari would fuss over me. He even got Runaan to cut me some slack.”

She looked sad and pitiful, talking about old life. Her life before she’d lost everyone who had looked out for her. Who had cared for her.

But she wasn’t alone now. She had him. He’d look out for her. He’d take care her.

“I don’t care if you’re grumpy,” he said throwing his arms around her and pulling her forcefully against him in a hug. “I’m fussing over you anyway.”

“Not so tight,” Rayla hissed.

Callum instantly released her. “Sorry! I didn’t think I was hugging you that hard.”

“You weren’t,” Rayla replied placing her hands on her chest. “It’s just the boobs are tender right now.”

He glanced down at her hands, then looked back at her eyes when he noticed he was staring at her chest. His mouth opened and closed but no words were coming out. He’d been processing a lot of new girl stuff this morning and talking about boobs was threating to fry his brain.

“Sorry…” he stammered desperately trying not to looks at her chest. “Didn’t know… about the… you know… tender… yeah…” 

A smirk appeared on Rayla’s face. “Can’t say _boobs_?” She paused watching his eyes. “How about breasts? Or maybe titties?”

Callum could feel his face glowing bright red as he looked away. Sure, he’d thought about boobs. A lot. But he’d never said it out loud. It wasn’t something he could talk about with Ezran. Soren would’ve teased him.

But she was right. He couldn’t have a girlfriend and never talk about her boobs. He took a deep breath to calm himself. With some effort, he managed to look her directly in the eye. “Boobs is fine,” he said trying sound mature and confident, which he didn’t feel at all.

He heard a noise behind him and turned to see Aunt Amaya standing in her doorway. She’d apparently noticed his blush because she smiled knowingly at Rayla as she handed her a canvas sack.

Rayla opened the sack to examine the contents as Amaya signed to Callum. “Tell her the piece of waxed cloth is to protect her clothing. The other items are to catch her flow. Heat the bag filled with grain to help with the cramps.”

Callum paused to think about how he was going to say this to Rayla.

Amaya noticed Callum hesitate. “Now Callum, don’t be embarrassed. You need to know about these things now that you have a girlfriend.”

She was right. Callum took a deep breath. “Rayla. Amaya says the cloth with wax –”

“Yep.” Rayla interrupted, her hand in the sack. “Pretty much what I had back in Silvergrove.” Callum was thankful he didn’t have to continue the explanation.

Rayla turned to Amaya. “Thank you. You’ve saved me.” she said, stepping forward to wrap Amaya in a hug. Callum noticed Amaya didn’t crush her in her usual hug.

Amaya waved Callum in for a three-way hug.

As they stepped back, Amaya signed to Callum. “Be a good friend to her. Give her a massage when she needs it. Heat up the grain bag. Pamper her. And you can always talk to me if you have any questions.” Amaya winked at him.

“What did she say,” Rayla asked.

“She said I need to fuss over you.”

“She’s very wise,” Rayla said grinning.

Amaya bade them goodbye, signing she was late for something, before hustling down the corridor.

Rayla took his hand. “If you give me a minute back in our room first, we can grab some breakfast,” she suggested.

“Sounds good,” he replied, starting down the corridor towards their room. “That’ll give me time for my blush to go away.”

After a few moments, he noticed Rayla looking at him with a suspicious smirk on her face.

“What?” he asked.

“Boobs!” she said suddenly.

He couldn’t help but chuckle even as he felt some color come back to his face. “You’re _not_ helping,” he said with mock irritation.

Rayla just laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next, Callum tries to be the best boyfriend ever.
> 
> Next chapter should be up by this weekend.  
> Sorry, I did up the chapter count as my final one was getting long. So I split it into two.


	3. Best Boyfriend Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum powers through his embarrassment and provides Rayla plenty of comfort and TLC.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Callum enthusiastically helps Rayla feel better.   
> Because he loves her and wants to be the best boyfriend ever!
> 
> Thanks to everyone for reading, kudo’ing and commenting. I appreciate it muchly!

Rayla managed to make it through breakfast before returning to her bed to collapse face down with a groan.

“Kill me now,” Rayla murmured into the blankets.

“What can I do to help,” Callum asked. He hated feeling helpless while she felt so terrible.

Rayla rolled over and sat up, groaning again. She pulled a cloth bag filled with grain out of the sack Amaya had given her and held it up. “Heat this up until it’s almost too warm to hold. 

They didn’t have any fires burning in the fireplaces since it was summer. But the kitchen would certainly have the ovens going.

“While you do that,” she continued, “I’ll change back into my pyjamas and crawl into this bed to wallow in my misery.”

Callum took the grain bag from her. “I’ll be back in a jiffy!” he said, glad to have something useful he could do to help.

Callum jogged down to the kitchens where Barius was working on the next meal. The delicious smells always made him hungry. Even now when he’d just eaten.

“Hi Callum,” Barius said looking up from his vegetable cutting with a smile. “Here to steal some jelly tarts for your brother?”

“Uh, no. Actually I need to heat this bag,” he answered, holding it up.

Barius didn’t seemed surprised by Callum’s request and just inclined his head in the direction of one of the ovens. “Put it on top of that one for a few minutes, then turn it over for a few more minutes and it should be good.”

“I’m not the first one to do this am I?” Callum asked, placing the grain bag on top of the warm oven.

“Nope.” Barius replied without looking up. “Nice of you to do this for your lady friend.” He expertly scooped up the vegetables he was cutting and threw them into a pot. “This soup I’m making will be perfect for her when it’s done. Stop back in a few hours and you can take her a bowl.”

“Thanks for helping. I’m still new to this ‘period’ thing.”

“Well, I’ve been married a long time, so here’s some advice. While you’re waiting for the bag to heat, make her some tea. I have some special beans from southern Katolis that my wife swears helps her mood more than anything else. I mix it with a type of tree bark for the pain and the combination works wonders. Some of the other ladies in the castle partake of it also.”

Callum dutifully heated some water while Barius placed a spoonful of his mixture in a large mug. The water was boiling when the bag was hot, so after thanking Barius for his help, Callum proceeded back to his room with a warm bag and a steaming cup of tea.

He found Rayla in her pyjamas, lying on her side and curled into a ball making pitiful little groaning sounds.

“I’m back,” he announced. “I’ve got the heated grain bag and an extra surprise!”

Rayla raised her head and looked at him hopefully. “Thank you,” she squeaked out, taking the heated bag and placing it on her lower stomach. “Ahhhh…” she sighed.

After a few moments, she sat up, holding the bag against her with one hand. Callum gently sat next to her and offered the tea. “Barius recommended it,” he said handing it to her. “His wife loves it.”

Rayla took the mug with her free hand and sniffed it. “Smells good,” she said before cautiously taking a sip. “Mmmmm…” she hummed. “Tastes good too.”

Callum put an arm around her shoulder and gently leaned against her. He was glad to finally be helping. He was going to fuss over her even more than Ethari!

They sat quietly for a while as Rayla sipped her tea and held the bag against her.

“You’re so sweet, helping and worrying about me,” she said finally. “I’m… sorry I teased you so much,” she confessed.

“I’m sorry I’m so clueless,” he replied. “But I promise I’ll be better. I shouldn’t get embarrassed over something so normal.”

“You _are_ adorable when you’re embarrassed,” she said gazing at him over her steaming mug with mischief in her eyes.

“Too bad you won’t see that anymore.” He sat up straight with his best noble pose. “I’m over being embarrassed. I’m very _mature_ now.”

Rayla looked at him dubiously. “Riiight,” she said before taking another sip of the tea.

“Seriously,” he said, dropping his pose. “I’m not embarrassed anymore.”

“Oh yeah?” She paused, smirking as she lowered her mug and stared intently in his eyes. 

“Booooooooobs” she said slowly.

He felt the blush creep into his cheeks as Rayla studied him, a smile growing on her face as she noticed his growing blush.

“Ha!” she said triumphantly. “I knew you’d still get embarrassed.”

“I’m getting better,” Callum protested. “I’ll prove it.” He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “Boobs, boobs, boobs, boobs, boobs.” He rattled off quickly. “See, I’m hardly blushing at all.”

Rayla nodded. “You _are_ much better.” She took another sip of tea and leaned her head on his shoulder. “And you’re a great boyfriend. On your way to possibly being the best boyfriend ever.”

The way she leaned against him, so trusting, so relaxed… he wanted her to always feel that way with him. He _was_ going to be the best boyfriend ever. 

“Is there anything else I can do?” He asked. “Aunt Amaya said I should give you a massage if you wanted it.”

Rayla raised her head to give him a kiss on the cheek. “That sounds _wonderful_. My lower back is killin’ me.”

Rayla took a last sip and placed the nearly empty mug on the floor then plopped down on the bed on her stomach.

Callum had never given a girl a massage before, but he’d seen people rub sore muscles before and after athletic events. But he didn’t want to embarrass himself anymore today so he decided to ask for help.

“Okay. How do I do this?”

“You can either sit next to me and lean over or you can sit on my legs if you want to be more centered.” Rayla offered.

Sit on her legs. With her butt right here. Maybe not.

Callum took off his boots, climbed on the bed and kneeled next to her legs. She had moved the pillow and was lying with her head turned to one side to face him with her arms raised near her head. He reached over and placed his hands on the small of her back and waited. She felt warm, even through the material.

“Gently press your thumbs on either side of my spine using your other fingers to grip and work your way outwards,” Rayla instructed. “Then move down lower.”

Callum poked around to find her spine them tried to push his thumbs on either side. Leaning over sideways was awkward and her pyjama top was bunching under his fingers.

He pulled her top down tight and tried again sliding his thumb outwards but it still wasn’t working well.

Rayla seemed to notice his difficulty. “Callum, it’s okay if you sit on my legs. I’m not gonna break. And I’ll pull my shirt up so it doesn’t get all bunchy,” Rayla said. She yanked her shirt up to expose her lower back.

Callum sat wide eyed staring at her bare back, subtle muscles and smooth curves leading to her very shapely butt. The blush was back even as he chastised himself. He shouldn’t be thinking how about her this way when she felt so miserable.

“You’re not embarrassed by my back are you?” Rayla asked.

“No. Of course not.” Callum said, moving to straddle her thighs. It definitely wasn’t embarrassment he felt looking at her bare skin.

Trying to not admire her butt, he had to admit she was right. This _was_ much a better position to massage her back. He could see better where to put his hands without the shirt in the way.

“How’s this,” he asked as he pressed his thumbs on each side of her spine in the small of her back.

“That’s good,” she said. “Rub in little circles then slide both thumbs out.”

“Like this?”

“Mmmm hmmmm,” she sighed, closing her eyes. “Yeah. Then move down a little and do it again.”

Callum did as Rayla instructed, earning appreciative ooo’s and aaaah’s from her. 

He felt very connected to her as he rubbed. It was almost more intimately than kissing. When they kissed, they were both giving and receiving. But now, as he massaged her back, he was giving to her and expecting nothing in return. She only had to receive. For this one moment, she didn’t have to save the world. Didn’t have to be the hero. She could just be a girl.

A girl, who right here, at this moment, allowed him to help her. He was touched that she’d let herself be vulnerable with him. That she lowered the walls she’d put up and trusted him completely. 

This warmed his heart more than a thousand I-love-you’s. 

His fingers and palm pressed into her skin, soft and warm, with firm muscle underneath. He imagined his love for her flowing through his hands and into her back. Seeking out and then warming and healing whatever hurt.

He focused all his attention on her and was starting to feel the tightness that needed to be rubbed and when the tightness had released. A couple of times early on, he’d pressed too hard and she’d cried out but he seemed to be doing a good job now.

When he got to the waistband of her pyjama bottoms, he started moving back up again.

“Keep goin’ lower,” Rayla said without bothering to open her eyes. “That’s where it really hurts.”

“But your pants are in the way.” He pointed out.

“Just move them down a little.” She replied, like it was the most obvious answer in the world.

He didn’t want her to think he was taking advantage of the situation. “You’re okay if I put my hands on your butt?”

“It’s not my _butt_ ,” she explained patiently, still without moving or opening her eyes.. “It’s my lower back.”

“Alright. If you say so.” Callum started pulling her waistband down a bit. “How low should I go?”

He felt her snicker. “If you see my butt crack, stop.”

He pulled the waistband lower but it wouldn’t stay so he had to pull the sides some too. Rayla rocked her hips as he pulled so the whole waistband could go lower until her entire lower back was exposed. And maybe just the beginning of a butt crack.

He took a deep breath and tried to ignore her mesmerizing shape as he picked up where he’d left off.

He’d moved a few steps lower when Rayla’s voice changed.

“Ow Ow Ow…,” she exclaimed rapidly. “That’s too hard.”

Callum immediately pulled his hands away. “Sorry. I didn’t think I was pushing any harder.”

“You’re not, my love,” she said apologetically. “You’re doin’ great. But it _really_ hurts right there. Start gently and slowly push harder.”

After a few tries with Rayla letting him know how hard to press, he seemed to be really getting the hang of this. He decided to use his knowledge of muscular anatomy from his drawing studies to find _all_ the places Rayla might be hurting.

In addition to next to her spine, he moved his hands out to the sides, along the pelvis, and deep in her lower back (he still thought of it as her butt), kneading and rubbing, apparently just how Rayla needed it.

“Oh gods!” Rayla exclaimed after Callum found and rubbed a particularly tight spot. “Callum that is _sooo_ good. You found the spot that needs rubbing.” As glad as he was that his backrub was helping, Callum was starting to get embarrassed at Rayla’s enthusiastic cries. 

But she continued, even louder. “Yes!” she cried. “Rub right there. Now harder. Harder! Oooooo yeeeees!”

Good thing there wasn’t anyone else around to hear her.

A knock on the door caused Callum to pause. _Oh crap_ , he thought. _There’s someone else._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Callum’s on his way to being the Best Boyfriend Ever.   
> (Hopefully, you agree. If not, let me know why)
> 
> Who’s at the door? Next chapter. 😉  
> Will Callum be embarrassed? Definitely. 😁 
> 
> Last chapter should be up in the next few day.


	4. Sandwiches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum finds out who’s knocking at the door.  
> And he’s embarrassed… again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who’s made it to this final chapter.  
> Sorry that this is up later than I intended.  
> I wrestled with the ending longer than I expected.  
> Hopefully it works for you.

Callum was frozen, his hands still on Rayla’s lower back. Or maybe it was her upper butt. 

If that was Opeli knocking, she’d certainly think it was upper butt. Opeli would probably think a lot of things – all of them bad – if she saw Callum sitting on Rayla like this. Especially if she heard those sounds from the last few seconds.

Or maybe it was Soren. Soren wouldn’t think any of this was bad. Instead, he’d probably give Callum a wink and thumbs up along with a ‘Go Callum!”, ‘I’ll just leave you two alone’, or some similar encouragement. But the knock didn’t rattle the door in its hinges so it probably wasn’t Soren.

He might was well face the music.

“Who is it?” Callum called innocently, his voice a little higher than normal.

“Ezran,” a voice replied from the other side of the closed door. “Is it okay if I come in?”

Callum sighed in relief. Ez he could handle. He wouldn’t think they were doing stuff they shouldn’t be doing. He was still too young to know about girls and sex. 

Callum reminded himself he needed to give Ez the ‘sandwiches’ talk soon. Harrow had given _him_ the talk but now it was his responsibility for to talk with Ez.

Hopefully Ezran had just arrived and hadn’t hear much. Or if he did, he wouldn’t think it sounded as bad as Soren or Opeli would think it sounded.

“Sure,” Callum answered, trying to sound casual. 

The door opened slightly and Ezran poked his head in without entering the room. He still seemed uncertain if should come in.

“Is everything okay?” Callum asked him.

“You two aren’t making sandwiches, are you?” Ez asked, sounding concerned. 

“WHAT!” Callum exclaimed, almost losing his balance and falling off of Rayla. “No!” he continued, frantically waving his hands back and forth to emphasize the no-ness. “Definitely _not_. No sandwiches!” He felt the blood rushing to his face, _again_. So much for Ez being too young.

“Okay,” Ezran said cheerfully. He seemed satisfied by Callum’s answer as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

“Sandwiches?” Rayla asked quietly.

“I’ll tell you later,” Callum whispered out the side of his mouth.

“How do you even _know_ about sandwiches?” Callum asked as Ezran approached the bed. What had happened to his baby brother? Well… other than war, death, betrayal and crushing responsibility. Callum had hoped he still had some of his innocence.

“Well…” Ezran started, a curious look on his face as he took in Callum sitting on Rayla. “Aanya and I were talking on the ride back from the Spire about how as leaders of our countries, we’ve had to grow up fast. Which led to talking about puberty, which led to realizing we’d need to learn about sex. Aanya knew a little but I talked with Corvus to get the whole story. He was surprised and a little flustered that I asked but he eventually filled me in.” Callum was amazed that Ez sounded like he was discussing how to make jelly tarts instead of how to make babies. He definitely should have had the talk with Ez earlier. Ez was apparently more ready for the talk than Callum was.

“You could have talked to me,” Callum said plaintively, putting one hand on his chest, trying to appear wounded. “As your big brother, I could have explained it all to you.”

Ezran snorted. “Yeah, right. You know all about sex because you’ve had a girlfriend for a few weeks. Why would I ask an apprentice instead of a master?” 

Ez seemed to be picking up Rayla’s penchant for snark.

“I’m not _that_ clueless!” Callum protested.

“Sorry love, you sorta are,” Rayla unhelpfully added.

“ _Really_?” Callum asked incredulously. “ _Both_ of you.”

Rayla reached a hand down to pat Callum’s leg. “But we still love you, even if you are a little clueless.”

“Hey! I’m working on it.” Callum replied indignantly.

“Why are you sitting on Rayla?” Ezran asked with his childlike innocence.

“Rayla’s back is hurting so I’m rubbing it for her.” Callum replied. No need to go into a big description of menstruation and periods right now. He’d go find Ezran and give him that talk later after Rayla was feeling better. Show that he wasn’t totally clueless. That there were still some things he could teach Ez about sex.

Ez walked over to the bed with a concerned frown on his face. “Sorry you’re not feeling well,” he said to Rayla.

“It’s okay,” she replied, a bit muffled as her face was still pressed into the bed. “I’ll be better in a few days.”

Ezran stopped, like he was pondering something, before he squatted down to sniff Rayla’s mug.

“Oh!” Ez said. “Now I get it. You’re having your period.”

“Ez!” Callum exclaimed. “How do you know that?”

“Like I said,” Ezran said patiently, “Aanya and I were talking about puberty and stuff. And she said she wasn’t looking forward to menstruation. I asked why and she told me about bleeding and cramps and feeling tired and achy.”

“But why did you think that’s why Rayla’s back hurt?” Callum asked. “Maybe she did a flip and landed wrong.”

“I don’t land flips wrong,” Rayla muttered in protest.

“It was the tea,” Ezran explained. “Opeli drinks it sometimes. I asked if I could have some once and she said no, because it’s ‘a special tea for ladies’. Not too hard to put two and two together.”

_The kid’s smart_ , Callum thought. No wonder he was so good at being king.

Callum reached over and ruffled his hair. “You’re pretty clever. But don’t you get embarrassed by all of this sex talk?”

Ez looked confused. “Why would I be embarrassed. It’s something everyone has to deal with. Like eating. Everyone should understand how it works so you know what to do and not do. Like chew with your mouth closed so food doesn’t fall out. Don’t put too much in your mouth or you might choke. Don’t laugh while drinking our it’ll come out your nose. And make sure you eat lots of different foods so you stay healthy.”

“You mean don’t just live on jelly tarts,” Callum teased.

“Yeah,” Ezran sheepishly admitted.

“Ezran,” Rayla interjected. “You probably came here to talk about something other than my period.”

“Yeah,” Ezran replied brightly. “Aanya wanted me to make sure Callum takes you shopping for more clothes. You shouldn’t have to keep borrowing his.”

“Don’t worry Ez,” Callum said. “We’ll go as soon as she feels up to it.”

“Good!” Ezran replied, appearing satisfied by Callum’s answer. “Sorry, but I have to go now. Sooo much kingly stuff to do now that we’re back.”

“Bye Ezran,” Rayla said raising her head. “I’ll try not to be so loud.”

“Be as loud as you want. Just feel better.” Ezran said before turning to Callum. “And Callum. If you have any sandwich questions, ask Corvus. He seems to know a lot about sex.”

Without waiting for a reply, Ezran turned and hurried out the door, closing it behind him.

“So… sandwiches?” Rayla asked.

“Yeah… that was our family code word for sex.” Callum explained. “A subject I’m apparently not that good at.” 

“You’re gettin’ a lot better. Your back rub was _amazin_ ’,” Rayla encouraged before a big yawn snuck out. “But I think I’d like to rest now.”

“Would it help if I snuggled against your back?” He was still shooting for Best Boyfriend Ever.

“It would. You’re very sweet.” She seemed she was getting better at accepting his help. He was certainly eager to give it.

Callum climbed off her legs and stood next to the bed to let her roll onto her side with the grain bag against her belly.

He was taking his jacket off when he noticed Rayla fondly watching him with sleepy eyes and a wry smile. He draped his jacket on a chair and knelt down next to the bed. With one hand, he gently ran his fingers through her hair, watching her eyes droop further.

He lost himself in those eyes as he stroked her hair. Whatever she needed – he would give it to her, do it for her. Without a second thought. Without hesitation. 

“Thank’s for takin’ care of me,” Rayla said quietly. 

It was strange to hear her admit she was vulnerable, that she needed help. She was always so strong. So driven. He felt his heart glow knowing she trusted him enough to let him take care of her.

“I love you,” he said gently. “And I _want_ to take care of you. So does Aunt Amaya. And Ez. We all love you.”

He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

“And now I’m going to cuddle your back,” he said as he climbed over her. He lay down beside her and snuggled his head against the back of her neck and wrapped his body against her back and legs. “Think of me as a giant grain bag for your back,” he said as he draped an arm over her. “One that doesn’t need reheating.”

Rayla wiggled closer and sighed a contented sigh. “You do feel nice. And the tea is helping too.”

Callum found her hand and interlaced their fingers. “I’m sorry you have to go through this.”

She sighed. “It’s okay. There really isn’t anything I can do about. It only stops when I’m old and hit menopause. Or if I’m pregnant.”

Callum tensed at the last word.

Rayla seemed to notice. “Don’t worry. _Neither_ of those are happenin’ anytime soon,” she said. Callum could hear the smirk in her voice. He did need to be more like Ez on this.

“Well, if there’s ever anything I can do, don’t try to tough it out. Let me know and I’ll help.” 

“These snuggles are nice,” she murmured. “And I’d like more backrubs later. But right now, I’m just _so_ tired.”

“Then rest.” He softly kissed the back of her neck. “I’m here.”

“You’re the… best… boyfriend… ever,” she mumbled between breaths before sighing gently.

He snuggled closer, burying his nose in her hair, the fine strands tickling his face. He inhaled her scent, felt her warmth against him, listened to her breathing steadying, then slowing. His perception collapsed until she was all he smelled, felt and heard. 

Until she was his whole world.

He could stay like this forever, basking in her presence.

His mind wandered to their future together.

He knew there’d be challenges. There’d be hardships and obstacles.

But he’d watch out for her. He’d worry about her. 

Because she needed someone to worry about her.

She wouldn’t have asked him for help today if he hadn’t pushed her. She’d sacrifice herself in an instant for others but ignored her own needs. 

Well, he was going to take care of her even if she wouldn’t always take care of herself.

And hopefully one day – _but not anytime soon!_ – they’ll still be together when she stops having her period for a while.

And he’ll take care of her then too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ezran gets Callum flustered! But isn’t that what little brothers do best. 😁
> 
> But Callum’s embarrassment is finally over. At least for now 😉
> 
> Thanks for reading, kudos and comments.  
> You’re all wonderful!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

**Author's Note:**

> I plan to continue this series with more stories that are cute and fluffy but embarrassing for both Callum and Rayla.
> 
> Because that’s what first teenage love is. 😁


End file.
